-
I went for a brief stroll around my sister’s NYC neighborhood and came across a yard debris container filled with pruned scraps from someone’s Limelight Hydrangea shrub. I helped myself to a few and brought them home for a delightful bouquet of flowers.
-
I also found a quarter and a penny while out and about, so I stuck my hand through a slightly nasty chain link fence to compose a pretty photo for the blog. If you look really carefully you can see the Manhattan skyline in the background. And not to brag, but I found another penny later that evening!
-
I garbage picked a pair of outdoor side tables for my sister’s back deck. Not as nice as the patio chair I curb picked in Brooklyn last year, but they’ll work as place holders until her neighbors set out something nicer.
If nothing else, the price was right. Plus, they follow the current “under consumption core” trend.
-
I learned that The Multnomah County Library offers Book Club Kits, which allow patrons to check out tote bags filled with ten copies of a specific book. There are 141 options at the moment, including The Heart of Horses, by Molly Gloss and A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin, both Portland authors.
As they explain it:
“Let us support your book club by providing 10 copies of a highly-discussable book on a six-week loan. We have titles in fiction, nonfiction, memoirs and large print available so you and your fellow readers can explore a variety of stories. “
I absolutely love this Pageturners To Go program, as it can be cost prohibitive to participate in a book club, especially as new releases have insanely long library wait lists. I looked it up and it appears that many other library systems offer the same or similar programs for their patrons, so hopefully this’ll help readers outside the Portland area.
-
No Lear Jet. No Amazon Prime Day “deals.”
{ 65 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the book club package too. I found out about it in 2019 at my local branch when I simply requested the book my club was reading that month. I went through the pick up window and was given this tote full of books and several pages of discussion prompts for the group. I told the librarian it was a mistake but she said the single books were all checked out and to take it. I offered them to the members who had not yet purchased the book. It is a great offering!
That’s so great! Does your library have a drive through “pick up window” or am I reading this wrong?
Hi Katy, Yes, our libraries have a drive through window. When putting items on hold you can choose to pick up inside or at the drive through window. It’s super convenient and saves time as I can never go in the library without browsing.
Love all of this! So many good ideas. Also thanks for the great furniture
Happy to fill your home with garbage! 😉
Does your sister live on City Island?
Good eye.
I like all the free items you bring home. I definitely use place holders when I have trouble finding what I want.
1. I painted the pillars on my front porch today. It’s part of an ongoing project that began last year to paint the outside trim. It started out as an “I’m just going to paint this one area” and turned into painting the lower trim on the house. I’ll have to hire the second level stuff out.
2. I used a coupon to get a free bag of shredded cheese at Meijer. I also earned $8 in rewards points.
3. I tried a new recipe for spring rolls last night for dinner. They were delicious. I feel like I need a gold star whenever I make an effort with meals. It’s so expensive to eat out and meals get very repetitive. It’s tempting to take the easy way out.
4. Meijer had a great sale on a decent wine. I stocked up a bit. It will make a great gift if I don’t end up drinking it all myself.
5. I also didn’t buy any prime day deals but I did use a gift cards I earned for doing a travel survey to purchase a new clock for my kitchen. Mine broke over a year ago and I’ve missed having a wall clock.
You absolutely get a gold star! GOLD STAR!
It sounds like you’re very thoughtful and deliberate with your food spending.
P.S. GOLD STAR!
@Jill A – does Meijer send you coupons in the mail? We’re suspecting they don’t when you sign up for rewards (which requires an app I believe and well, that makes it a non-starter).
Selena, they do send me coupons in the mail about once a month. They also send special digital coupons sometimes that I do have to clip in the app.
1. Sadly, I am saving money on food. I am uninterested in it and cannot eat very much after a devastating fallout with our closest niece, who I have mentioned several times here. She is like a daughter to us. It’s unimaginable and the grief is overwhelming. The ball is in her court to begin reconciliation with us. I can only hope it happens in my lifetime. If it doesn’t, I have written a loving letter to her and put it in my “when I’m dead” file.
2. Headed to Sacramento in a few days for a family visit. My niece just bought a house with an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) above her detached garage, so I will have no lodging costs. My airfare is $660.
3. Went to a free outdoor concert at our community center.
4. Signed up for Medicare to start in September. I have excellent retiree health insurance through my former employer, and I’ll actually be paying slightly more per month to move to an advantage plan policy through them plus the Medicare premium. But my gym membership will now be free so all in all I’m coming out ahead.
5. Received coconut oil and a book satchel from Buy Nothing and, in turn, I gave away other items. Oh, and I was also given some elastic to rescue the waist of a pair of pajamas that was stretched out and useless.
Re my #1: I regret sharing such personal news and feel vulnerable now. I also meant to say that she knows how much we want to reconcile and the next step is hers. With little food and sleep, I am not even-keeled.
Sometimes you just need to say it “out loud” !!! All good, take care of yourself. Love will heal in any direction. Xx
MB, I’m so sorry about your #1, and I hope that this can be worked out while all parties are still above ground. Take care of yourself in the meantime.
MB in MN,
I, too, am so sorry about your #1. This is a very safe place to share personal things. I have some not very easy family things to come to grips with myself….having my BFF in town this past weekend and getting her take on things brought it all into focus for me. Please be gentle with yourself. I pray your niece offers an olive branch.
I understand the feeling and I also have found this a safe space. Sending positive thoughts. I know family estrangement.
Thank you to everyone for your kind and supportive comments. To me, feeling vulnerable is more like the Brene Brown definition (emotionally exposed) rather than the dictionary definition (open to criticism or attack).
Even though I’m anonymous here, putting something personal out there still feels scary. My family was one to bury hard things and not air our dirty laundry. Appearances were paramount.
This blog is very much a safe harbor. In every post, there are encouraging comments to what someone is going through, and I knew you would buoy me up. I am very sad to hear of other family estrangements and wish everyone calm waters in their relationships.
I’m so sorry. I hope everything works out. Hugs.
I’m so sorry to read about your family issues, I can only imagine what that loss feels like. Sending a virtual hug your way.
MB, In a way I know what you’re going through re: #1. My parents are I are estranged, through their own choice (the ball was in their court 20-odd years ago, and they chose not to reconcile). Over the years I have tried several times to reach out, only to to be met with coldness. Also they managed to turn my aunt, who I love like a second mother, and my cousin, who was the closest thing I had to a sister, against me. It is a peculiar kind of grief, to be grieving somebody who is still alive. I hope and pray that she comes around and you are able to rebuild your relationship.
So very sorry about your family fallout; I hope it is very temporary. I have always found this a safe place to share things, always getting support. Meanwhile, take care of yourself.
Whoops, meant to post my response here at the end of the comments.
Thank you to everyone for your kind and supportive comments. To me, feeling vulnerable is more like the Brene Brown definition (emotionally exposed) rather than the dictionary definition (open to criticism or attack).
Even though I’m anonymous here, putting something personal out there is scary. My family was one to bury hard things and not air our dirty laundry. Appearances were paramount.
This blog is a safe harbor. In every post, there are encouraging comments to what someone is going through, and I knew you would buoy me up. I am very sad to hear of other family estrangements and wish everyone calm waters in their relationships.
I loved the Heart of Horses! I had a copy of it in my bookcase for the longest time and decided I would finally read it. I’m so glad I did.
1. Cleaned up some flat rocks I picked up while walking. Next step is spray painting them a solid background color, then painting positive messages and designs on them, sealing them and finally “hiding” them while out hiking. I belong to a FB group that creates these for others to find.
2. I finished my library book and broke out my US Atlas to pore over. We’re in the beginning stages of planning out a driving trip to see our grandson graduate from college in North Carolina next May. We already have some frugal ideas boiling on the back burner such as taking our cooler loaded with water and drinks, packing snacks, loading up on breakfast at the hotels we stay in so hopefully we won’t need to eat until suppertime, keeping our speed limit down (saves gas and possible money for speeding fines…we will be out-of-staters) and having another grandchild stay at our home to take care of our two cats.
3. I’m attending another free library concert tonight: Motown hits and history.
4. We’ll be having leftovers for supper.
5. Hanging all laundry outside, making our own coffee, tea and iced tea, cooking all meals at home in an attempt to tighten our belts (literally and figuratively), enjoying the lushness of July in our yard and neighborhood and swimming for free in DD’s pool, our little community beach and at our friend’s house on a lake. She is so generous to give us a standing offer to come and swim whenever we want to, even if she is not home. She is 92 and had been one of my parents’ dear friends so is like a second mom to me.
So happy to read that you loved “Heart of Horses!” Molly Gloss is one of my father’s former writing students and a dear friend of his. I think one of her books, (The Jump off Creek?) is dedicated to him.
I love your frugal five and it sounds like your road trip will be perfectly planned!
I loved The Hearts of Horses so much when I read it several years ago, that I read all of Ms. Gloss’ other books that I could get my hands on. I went to amazon just now to see if there were any I had missed, and found that The Dazzle of Day is free to borrow on kindle unlimited right now (ku is my guilty-spend pleasure). I’ve had so much trouble reading lately, but a Quaker emigration to another planet sounds wonderful…I want to go with them. 🙂
Thank your father from a grateful reader (of yours and Ms. Gloss) for many happy hours of reading thanks to his influences!
Kathleen, I wasn’t aware she wrote other books until I read your and Katy’s comments. Looking them up now online. Thanks!
Your father taught her well! Excellent writer.
I’ll pass that along!
FFT, Getting By With a Little Help From My Friends Edition:
Of course, I’m always getting by with a little help from my friends. But here are the latest examples:
(1) My next-door neighbor and I are beginning to do serious tomato picking from the two plants (Sungold and Supersweet 100) we have in pots behind her 8-foot chain-link fence. I’ve already used some in a pasta dish and am about to use more in a chef’s salad with Ducktrap smoked trout (cheaper than any form of salmon and less guilt-inducing than several), a nuked potato, lettuce from Wegmans, and arugula from the crop I’m currently harvesting from my Easy Washer tub.
(2) I took some baggies of arugula to my Sunday morning walking buddies. One of them reciprocated with some blueberries she and her husband picked on Saturday from a local pick-your-own farm. And the other one reciprocated with her recipe for a shrimp and arugula salad.
(3) The Bestest Neighbors and I are planning a joint run to the local business our county recycling agency uses for household toxics disposal. I’ve got a lot of stuff left over from DH’s various enterprises that I’d like to get rid of, and they have a fair amount as well. Dr. BN will come with me to help unload.
(4) I paid a pre-second-surgery call today on a friend who went in a month ago for what she thought was going to be a routine basal cell cancer excision and ended up having about a third of her nose removed. Tomorrow’s surgery will be for reconstruction. I took her a bottle of homemade basil vinegar and a small jar of my dried basil, for when she feels like cooking again (she is a remarkable cook).
(5) No Lear Jet. No Amazon Prime day deals, for reasons previously explained. And no @#$%!! patch on my right ear.
1. I did not fall prey to Amazon Prime Day. Woo for me. Too many of the blogs I sometimes read have their lists of “Prime Day Favorites” and boy, I can be easily influenced sometimes, but not this year.
2. I found a much less expensive version of the dressings DS needs for his still-healing wound; the doctor recommended a silicone bandage to keep in moisture, and at first I was anxious to use the exact brand they used at the clinic. Now I am more seasoned, and realize there are other brands that are not so pricey, and found a version that is at least half the price and will save us buckets of money. Put it on Subscribe and Save to save a bit more. For reference, he needs a dressing that is 4 inches by 10 inches, and those are not to be found very readily.
3. I had DH cut my hair, now that it’s long enough that all I need is for him to just trim the uneven ends. Now we’re all six of us getting home haircuts!
4. I actually took inventory before grocery shopping and avoided buying extras of things we already have. The guys can darn well eat up the pita breads we already have before I buy more for dinner tomorrow.
5. A friend of mine was driving through the area and needed to crash somewhere after driving 8 hours. We offered her DS’s apartment (he rented it before his medical crisis, and has not been able to move back in as he still needs some help with his home care) so she wouldn’t have to spend $$ on a hotel. I brought over some teas I already had, and we had a nice cup of tea before she needed to hit the sack that night. It stinks that DS has had to keep paying on a lease for a place he’s not using, but it was nice to be able to offer a bed to somebody in need. Our own home is too small to really comfortably host anyone overnight. They could sleep out in the living room, or we could, but then our cat would pester whoever was out there to wake up already and feed him!
Can your Airbnb the apartment to get some of the rent back?
I loved your post script about no APD “deals”. I had a funny thing happen on APD. We were traveling and I was bored, so I spent a moment on Wirecutter but clicked off pretty quickly, due to total lack of interest. Much later in the day, after we got home from a long road trip, I went to “A” to reorder something. I was surprised to find the needed item was on APD sale, along with something else I’m going to need in the future. I ended up buying two items for less than I had actually paid previously. I don’t use A much, but occasionally it’s the only way to get something. Hilarious that it was accidentally on sale. Ergo, if there’s something you buy on A and it’s an APD, scroll through your previously purchased items to see if they are on sale. I did no research, the sale prices were showing next to each previously purchased item. Crazy!
Sitting here with my squirming 3 year old grandson on my lap, what a joy. Also got a peek at my granddaughter in the NICU this morning. She’s doing well.
Went to Aldi, which was fun because we don’t have one near where we live.
I’ve made good use of YouTube for free things to watch. It’s all the energy and brain power I have right now.
I’ve done some therapeutic tidying up at my son’s house. None of it matters in the grand scheme of things, but it brings me a little joy.
Kara, it’s so nice to see more joys returning to your life!
Thank you. I cannot believe the summer we’ve had. I think I’ll always look back on this summer with disbelief. But I have found small joys every day.
Glad to hear your littlest angel-baby is doing well. Glad her big brother has Grandma to keep him company. Hope you get the rest you need. Remember to cast your burdens on the Lord, for he cares for you!
Kara, I’m so happy your granddaughter is doing well and you’re still finding joy during such a stressful period in your life.
So glad everything is going well for your family. To see your newest precious angel delivered safely must be a tremendous relief. I can almost read the feeling in your post! Best to all!
I’m so happy and relieved to read that your granddaughter is doing well!
1 started back at the wellness center $15/mo.
2. Hubby fixed the lamp our dogs broke. Need new lampshades. Bought some and they don’t work so I’ll return them tomorrow
3. Picked up only necessary items at Costco
4. Sent a thank you post card
5. Logged in reading for the library challenge
Last night the National Weather Service put out a “Severe Weather Alert” for our area; “Tomorrow’s temperatures may reach 90 degrees. Take care to hydrate and observe the burn ban in these dry conditions.” My sister, who lives in rural Virginia, practically gave herself a hernia laughing when I emailed her. So, in line with that:
1. Gave a ride to a friend and when he wanted to go through a fast-food drive, I bought nothing even as they passed him the bag with onion rings calling my name.
2. Made sun tea with free bags from a long-ago mystery shop.
3. Picked a quart of raspberries from our patch that seems to grow larger every year. Made whipped cream from a mystery shop to top them.
4. At 6 am, before the heat of the day, I pulled up spent pea vines and a bunch of weeds. Threw them over the fence for our neighbor’s chickens to devour. A few hours later, her young daughter brought over a dozen eggs from these chickens. I had a bag of cukes to give her to take home. It is wonderful to be able to exchange garden stuff for eggs.
5. Mended several shirts while watching old episodes of Newhart, in honor of his passing. We were living in Scotland when this program was first broadcast, so they were new to us. Humor was so innocent back then!
I hadn’t heard Bob Newhart died! I remember watching Newhart with my family when I was a kid. We all loved that show!
I try pretty hard not to give money to the world’s richest online merchant, so no APD for me. My husband and I spent the entire weekend rearranging and cleaning our garage. The only money spent was a few dollars for a handful of screws and washers. I took another pile of stuff to Goodwill, turned all the bits and bobs of partially used foods in the freezer into a delicious casserole, and stopped at Aldi on the way to my therapy appointment to stock up on $1.48 a package English muffins. I used to get great muffins at Dollar Tree for $1.25, but all the stores started stocking a $3 name brand.
We are having a most unusual summer day: rain off and on with high temperatures only in the 80s; a lot of the day in the upper 70-degree range. Some of you may think that’s uncomfortably hot, but here in the South, July usually brings triple digits with early morning lows in the upper 70s or 80s.
It’s nice to trade the blazing sun for a cool, cloudy day! Feels like spring or fall, getting to enjoy the outdoors all day, not just in the early morning. We are supposed to have unseasonably cool days all week, and so happy about that! Esp. since I turned off the AC, something I’ve never before done during summer.
1. Follow-up report: Earlier, I had walked down to the home of the neighbors who hosted the July 4 party and put a thank-you note in their mailbox. A couple of days ago, the wife rang my doorbell, said she loved my “sweet thank-you” and invited me to come swim some afternoon! We talked for a while; I have a new friend!
2. Later, she brought me some leftovers from the cookout, some bread, grilled (but now frozen) hotdog wieners and mustard. She said they had way too much left over, and wanted to share.
3. Put all my plants outside so the rain would water them.
4. Picked up a friend who lives in an apartment. She did her laundry here, and also helped me fix up the covered patio. She climbed the ladder to nail up some clear Christmas tree lights (hey, they’re not being used in the summer!) and a string of old patio lights (from 20 years ago) that I’d fixed. (I shouldn’t climb ladders as I have vertigo.) We moved the furniture around and cleaned it off; it had several layers of Sahara dust from that dust storm that blew in. Afterwards, we ate lunch on the patio (the calzone sandwiches from Aldi that cost $2 and change, microwaves in 60 seconds, pretty cheap eating for so much food!) and this evening, I was able to go read my book and relax on the patio.
5. My patio is brilliantly frugal, IMHO: the furniture consists of a long rectangular glass-topped outdoor dining table and 6 chairs from Salvation Army (bought for under $100 back when I first bought the house); my grandmother’s vintage chaise lounger (inherited); a side table which is actually a round metal plant stand ($2 garage sale item) with a repurposed microwave turntable (from my dead microwave) as its glass top (fits perfectly!) For decoration, I have some old planters (half-filled with fallen leaves to save on potting soil) replanted with transplanted coleus and spider plants and stuff from the yard. And, lastly, a sign brought over from our older house that says “This home is open to God, sunshine and friends.”
Your (UBER FRUGAL) patio sounds just fabulous! thanks for sharing the word pictures and also your lovely frugal furnishings. the microwave turntable on a plant stand for a side table is BRILLIANT!
1. Since my new employer offers free cable TV, I decided to cancel Netflix.
2. I served a dinner of berry smoothies and popcorn which is a great reminder that not every meal needs to be gourmet
3. We bought a container of ice cream from the grocery store rather than going to Dairy Queen.
4. We had a large stash of paper napkins which we finally used up. We now use the cloth napkins we received as a wedding gift over 25 years ago.
5. We have not used our sprinkler system this season. While a rainy summer is no fun, it has saved us a lot of money.
1. I did buy toilet paper on APD as it was the lowest price that I’ve seen and lower than my past purchases of it, and I used money from Swagbucks to pay for it.
2. I’m still eating the hardboiled eggs from the canceled party. The eggs were free from mystery shop as are the buns that I’m using for egg salad sandwiches.
3. Purchased discounted sausages from FlashFoods
4. found a great new recipe to use up zucchini that was left on our porch from a neighbor and was in free CSA box: zucchini scarpaccia https://www.bylena.com/recipe/1558/Italian-Zucchini-Scarpaccia/
5. carpooled with colleague today.
5.
Yay! I’m still here! (I know it’s been a while)
1. I had surgery 10 weeks ago and have been doing very well. I was in an immobilizer brace for the first six weeks, so I didn’t really go anywhere. Other than PT.
2. My son’s car, that had well over to 240K on it, started having a lot of problems. So since I was home, I kept searching around for weeks and weeks, and I stumbled on a great deal. Picked up a new-to-him car and donated the old car. I’m waiting for the auction amount they got so I can put it on my taxes. His transmission on the old car blew the same day I found the newer car. Perfect timing. Hopefully this car will last another seven years before he needs a newer one again.
3. I’m home for another five or six weeks before I have to go back to work. I’m pretending this is my test retirement phase. Going back is not going to be easy.
4. I found some gentle hip yoga videos on YouTube and have been doing those each day to help stretch. I can’t do most yoga moves, because it would involve my shoulder..
5. I did not buy a Learjet, buy anything for Amazon day or get Botox or a facelift
Welcome back, Nancy!
Nancy: Yay! So glad you’re back!
Nancy, I’m happy you are doing well after your surgery. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time off.
Katy, I really enjoyed the article on the “under consumption core” trend. It was very affirming and uplifting, and makes me feel better about some recent decisions to make do, etc. thank you.
This column and readers are really encouraging, and reminds me that frugal and ecological is good and not crazy. When you are traveling against the current, it is nice to be swimming with fellow frugal fish!
Since I posted yesterday, I do not have much to report, other than I carpooled to my oyster farm, and am continuing to cook from food in the refrigerator.
We were out and I vaguely wanted to stop for soft serve, but waited until we got home and made a banana berry protein shake for much less money and sugar, and far fewer calories.
Last night I transplanted a number of native perennials from milk jugs into the ground, as we are supposed to have a rainy, cloudy week, and that will help them to settle in, and minimize my watering duties.
I am continuing “decoration by subtraction”, realizing that I no longer need quite so many knickknacks, etc, and that it is good to share the wealth. I am also using the money saved from doing many things myself to hire a young woman who asked for work, and paying her a very generous hourly wage to help me get ready for my children’s visit. I am in good shape for my age, but I really really appreciate the help in staying on task and avoiding distractions or crashing from tiredness. (She is in her mid 20’s and nimbler, and a natural organizer.) So it is a win-win solution.
I am off to put on another crockpot of beans, chickpeas this time, so I will have them to make a delicious sounding recipe “Vegan Shawarma with Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas,” from Forks over Knives. I will thank myself later!
This is one of my very favorite blogs! Love reading the comments, and I frequently go back to old ones to see if there are new posts!! My five:
1. Husband helped a construction crew we hired, and the owner took $300 off the bill. A long, hot day but husband was going to be out there anyway – lol!
2. Purchased a new ipad for son. The store had it marked way down since it was open box and no warranty. After check out the clerk handed me a $100 coupon for our next purchase at the store. This was a promotion I saw on the other ipads, but never thought that a clearance ipad would qualify! $65 for a new 9th generation ipad – yes please.
3. Purchased take-out pizza, but used a deal on the website, and had previously purchased gift certificates for “Buy $50 for $25”.
4. Selling on ebay, held two garage sales this summer, and doing daily reward sites, scanning receipts, etc. I just want less in this house, so also decluttering both physical and digital.
5. Frugal fail/win – was overcharged at the grocery store when I purchased two wrong items for their “Buy 5 save $5” Store had marked the wrong item as belonging to the promotion, and I did not double check. No, I did not complain, there were coupons and sales on several of the 5 items so they were not full price. Second fail the next day, I did not load the digital coupon onto the reward card! The next week I was again charged wrongly, but I caught it while in the store and headed to the service desk for my refund. Yeah on that.
I hate that you have to be so savvy to get the sale prices. Imagine if the prices were always just the same, like Trader Joes.
1. Charging my car at work again to avoid costly en-route charging stops before getting home.
2. Wearing the same flats to work I bought in 2018 – they are nonslip and I was marveling at how well they’ve held up. As someone who normally beats up shoes within 2 years of regular wear, this has been a welcome surprise.
3. My work outfit today is not one the instagram girlies would be particularly impressed by and may be described as frumpy. But it’s neat, clean, and travels with minimal wrinkles so I’m trying not to worry about my ~aesthetic~ too much (and avoid the siren song of buying new outfits!)
4. Taking a page out of Katy’s book and drinking crappy coffee instead of paying for a nicer cup to go. I’ll be back home tomorrow and back to my preferred roast in the morning!
5. Wanted to get lunch with a friend and was so happy when he offered to make lunch at home. We’re both avoiding added/surprise expenses this month so I was grateful he was willing to host instead of meeting out!
Crappy coffee for the win!
Love the hydrangea bouquet, beautiful!
I did succumb to the APD. I wasn’t going to bite, but my brother from another mother sent me a link to some outdoor security cameras. They are the exact model that he put up at his cabins and when he bought them they cost over $600 ea. I bought them at 91% off. I like to think that Schmeff Schmeyzohs lost money on that transaction. Bro will install and I will get to host his family. Yeah me for the win!
A friend dumped a 1 yard pile of river rocks for me to use for painting. The youth group and 4 Hers paint them to sell to raise money for various
community service projects.
I sold 2 pieces of farming equipment and some tools this week. It will pay for the new parts I need for the tractor and the mechanic.
I purged another cabinet in the kitchen. I will be having one heck of a garage sale soon. After a nice visit with former teachers (husband and wife) I decided to be more aggressive in my purging. Truly valuable heirlooms will go in trunks to swap out periodically and everything else is going to be sold. Jewelry is going to be raffled off at the next family reunion that way each person can decide what they would really like to inherit.
A whole yard of rocks to paint? That’s an ambitious project, even if you share with a youth group!
“Aggressive purging?” If only that were an olympic sport!
Let’s see, what have we been up to:
1) Eating tons of garden tomatoes. They are so fabulous, it’s not a hardship.
2) I think we finally figured out how to keep the critters out of our raised beds. The solution we came up with will last for years, which is good, since investing a bunch of money in a garden is rarely a frugal solution.
3) Used a few rewards at the grocery store, to offset the price.
4) Meal planned, ate leftovers, and froze remaining leftovers (we’re heading out of town tomorrow)
5) Used flight credits to book travel for DS18’s college drop off.
I would like your tips on how to grow (a lot) of tomatoes. I have never had what I would call even a mediocre crop and 2 plants (advertised as organic a good producers) don’t have even one blossom let alone a tomato! I have harvested a small handful of cherry tomatoes and 2 small tomatoes. I have 2 cherry plants and 6 regular plants , any suggestions?
I am sharing one thing, but its good for the earth, and you might get some Amazon credit!
Amazon has free electronics recycling! You can return old Kindles and such and get gift card credit, and 20% off a new model if you choose to upgrade. It was super easy, they send the shipping label and the gift card was in my account as soon as I pressed “enter”! (Mine was a 2015 model, so not a huge gift card amount, but I was happy to have them pay me $5 to recycle something!)
They also take other non amazon items – check their website or Google it
Worth noting: they do not have to be in working condition – mine was NOT.
Okay, now I need to research this! Thank you for sharing!
Katy – Because you will find dead and broken kindles in free piles and get ALL the Amazon credits LOL! (I am jealous of your free piles, can you tell?)